Morning links: How the Rodney Hood-Jae Crowder trade almost didn't happen; a deep look at the Jazz's win streak

Utah Jazz forward Jae Crowder, right, and head coach Quin Snyder talk on the sideline in the first half during an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The biggest storyline of the NBA's Feb. 8 trade deadline was the transformation of the Cleveland Cavaliers' roster through all the moves that general manager Koby Altman made.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a lengthy piece about how Altman pulled off multiple trades, with the deal sending Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz to the Cavaliers and the Jazz getting Jae Crowder from Cleveland being one of them.

Certainly the most interesting piece of the report locally is that at one point in the negotiations, Utah general manager Dennis Lindsey became "livid." According to Wojnarowski, there was miscommunication between Altman and the Sacramento Kings' (who were part of the deal and received former Jazzman Joe Johnson before waiving him) front office, with the Kings saying late in the process that they needed to include lottery bust Georgios Papagiannis in the trade.

Utah would have to take on Papagiannis, Wojnarowski reported, a prospect that, in Lindsey's mind, took the Jazz "out" of the deal altogether.

Ultimately, Wojnarowski reported, Lindsey agreed to include $1.1 million cash to Sacramento but insisted on getting second-round draft pick swap rights with the Cavaliers.

Zach Lowe takes a deep look at the Jazz's win streak

The Jazz are the hottest team in the NBA, riding an 11-game win streak into the All-Star break (they resume play on Friday at home).

Wojnarowski's colleague at ESPN, Zach Lowe, took one of his classic deep dives into Utah's streak, examining what's probably sustainable and what probably isn't about the run.

Lowe pays specific attention to the Jazz's hot shooting (especially from Ricky Rubio. Can it last?), Joe Ingles' resurgence after a slump, Rudy Gobert's return from injury and the discovery of Royce O'Neale.

"Making the playoffs would be an important, affirming step," Lowe writes. "No one will say it — well, Gobert probably would — but they all want to show Gordon Hayward they are fine without him."